Clothes-pin.



PATBNTED .MPB.. 25, '1905.

' J.B.P00TE.

CLOTHES PIN.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21. 1904.

mmm... Y rf cavi/buenas UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

JAMES B.' FOOTE, OF VVALTON, NEW YORK.

CLOTHES-PIN.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,461, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed May 21, 1904. Serial No. 209,087.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. FOOTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Walton, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Clothes- Pin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes-pins.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wooden clothespins and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eflicient one of great strength and durability adapted to remain permanently on a line and capable of sliding thereon to fasten garments and other fabrics to the line and for removing them therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes-pin of this character which may be readily placed on and removed from the line and which will be eectually prevented from falling therefrom and becoming soiled, whereby clothes may be rapidly 4removed from a line without removing the pins.

Another object of the invention is'to provide a clothes-pin which will be reinforced by the clothes-engaging portion to prevent splitting and which will enable clothes to be quickly secured to a line without clamping the same with the force required by an ordinary wooden clothes-pin.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes-pin constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, illustrating the manner of securing a arment to a line. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectiona view taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all Vthe gures of the drawings.

1 designates a wooden clothes -pin provided at the top with a head and split longitudinally to form two sides 2 and to provide a longitudinal slot 3. The slot converges toward its upper or inner end, and the clothespin is provided at the inner end of the slot with an enlarged circular clothes-line-receiving groove or opening 4 of greater diameter than the upper portion 5 of the slot 3, whereby the circular groove or opening is adapted to receive a clothes-line 6 and a portion 7 of a garment or fabric, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upper portion of the slot or space between the sides of the clothes-pin is of a width less than the diameter of the clothes-line, whereby the clothes-pin when placed on a line is adapted to remain permanently on the same and is prevente from fallin therefrom and becoming soiled when rapid y removing clothes from the line.

The sides 2 of the clothes-pin possess sufficient resiliency to enable the clothes-pin to be forced on and removed from the clothesline, which when constructed of fabric will be partially compressed to facilitate this operation. The circular openin or groove is of greater diameter than the ine, so that the clothes-pin will be loosely arranged thereon and will be capable of sliding freely along the same to enable it to be readily engaged with the clothes or other fabrics to be fastened to the line. The clothes-pin is adapted to slide readily over a portion of a garment, and the latter will be securely retained thereon without clamping the same as tightly as is necessary when ordinary wooden clothes-pins are employed. The clothes engaging or clamping portions at the sides of the groove or opening 4 are not resilient and do not have to be spread to engage them with the clothes, and the clothes-pin is enlarged at S at the clothes-engaging n portions, whereby the clothes-pin will present rigid clothes-engaging faces and will be eifectually prevented from splitting. The enlarged body portion is substantiall spherical, and the head of the clothes-pin, which is smaller than the en- IOO larged or bulged upper portion, is connected with the same by a reduced portion or neck. The enlarged or bulged upper portion has a diameter greater than the width of the sides, so that the enlarged orbulged portion projects beyond the side edges of the sides to afford clothes-engaging faces of increased area. The ends 9 of the groove or opening 4 are slightly flared to facilitate the engagement of the clothes-pin with a garment. The space between the sides and the lower or split portion of the pin tapers inwardly from the lower end of the pin to the groove. The lower end of the space is of a width greaterthan the diameter of the clothes-line, and the upper end of the space is of a width less than the diameter of the clothes-line and forms a constricted entrance to the groove or opening. The sides are sufficiently resilient to `enable a clothes-line to be readily forced into the groove, and the intervening tapering space by being larger at the lower end `than the clothes-line greatly facilitatesthe placing of clothes-pins on the line.

It will be seen that theclothes-pin possesses great strength and durability and is not liable to split, owing to the provision of the groove 4 in the reinforcement or enlargement and the manner of engaging the clothes, and as the clothes-pin is provided with a clothes-line-receiving opening or groove and has a constricted entrance thereto it is adapted to remain permanently on a line and is prevented from falling therefrom and becoming soiled. Furthermore, it will be clear that the engagement of the clothes-pinwith the clothes will not be aected by an ordinary wind, and there will be noliability of the latter blowing clothes from a line.

In practice the clothes are pinned or clamped to the line bysliding the pins over the clothes, and when ready to remove thelatter the pins are simply slid toI one side, remaining on the line until ready to take in the latter. When that is done, the pins are carried in with the line and stored, ready for immediate conjoint use.

I am aware that pinless clothes-lines consisting of wire clamps formed integral with the line are old; but in such devices the clothes can only beI clamped at predetermined intervals. I am also aware that it has been proposed to constructa separate non-elastic holder or clamp to remain permanently on the line but in such a construction the holder cannot be separated from the line or applied thereto. at any point, making it impracticable for ordinary use. My invention possesses all the advantages of the common type of clothes-pin in the points of cheapness and facility of operation, with the added features of increased durability, greater clamping power, and capability of remaining permanently on the line. I know of no struc- -ture embodying all these features.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A clothes-pin constructed entirely of wood in a single piece, and comprising an enlarged bulging non-resilient upper portion and a narrower lower split portion, the latter being composed of two resilient sides separated by a space or slot whichhas its widest point at the outer ends of the sides, where it exceeds the diameter of a clothes-line, and converges toward the inner ends thereof where the slot or space is less than the diameter of a clothes-line, said slot or space leading into a clothes-line-receiving groove formed in the bulged upper portion, which groove is of a sufficient diameter to receive the clothesline and the clothes to be clamped, the-walls 0f said groove presenting rigid clothes-engaging faces, the construction being such that the pins may be put on and taken off the line at any point, but may be allowed to remain on the line, substantially as described.

2. A clothes-pin, comprising a head havinga neck, anupper enlarged bulging portion connected at the top with the neck and having a diameter greater than that of the head and provided with a clothes-line-receiving groove or opening and presenting rigid clothes-engaging faces and adapted to clamp the clothes on the line, and a lower portion split to provide two spaced sides which eX- tend from the .bulging upper portion, and which havea width less than the diameter of the same, the bulging portion being extended beyond the side edges of thelower portion and the space between the sides of the latter being ,tapered upwardly from the lower or outer end ofthe clothes-pin to the said groove or opening, the lower end of the said space being of a width to receive the line, and the upper end of the said space being of a width to form a constricted entrance to the said clothes-line-receiving groove or opening for retaining a clothes-line in the same, the sides of the said lower portion being resilient and adapted to be sprung apart to permit the line to pass through the constricted entrance, whereby the-pins may be puton and taken off at any point on the line.

.In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. FOOTE.

Witnesses:

HENRIE C. TOBEY, HENRY S. WHITE.

IIO 

